I couldn’t resist working that figure into the headline. That’s 5,000 working business analysts that receive this newsletter twice a month to see what we have to offer. And we try - as the marketers say – to have something new and exciting for each visit. I think we’ve done it again with this posting.

First, we’re carrying an overview of a new study, Business Analysis Benchmark Report, undertaken by IAG Consulting. In this overview, Keith Ellis talks about some of the significant findings of the report, including the observation that companies with poor requirements definition overspend dramatically on major projects. Go to the article for some alarming facts and figures.

John Dean concludes his series Road to the Perfect Project. In this final episode he takes a look at what he calls “big process.” He describes this as a process that follows the company “cookbook” to ensure that projects come out well, but not great! He says, the problem with an ingrained system is that the project team must be thoroughly familiar with the system. If they’re hired for the project there’s a long period of training and adjustment.

Our regular blogger Terry Longo is back, and continuing his discussion about content vs. process, this time with the addition of a framework to tie things together, and which also provides the conceptual plateau from which to move on. John Dean (Yes, that one. See above) joins us in his first outing as a regular blogger. He’s picking up on and adding some views to Marcos Ferrer’s blogs - about Identity Systems - that he’s put his mind to over the last few issues. Also, visit the IIBA section to find out what they have in store for 2008.

Hope you enjoy this issue and that we hear from you. No, not all 5,000 at once!

All the best.

Adam R. Kahn
Publisher
Ph: 508-309-6900
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